Tanca els Ulls

Tarragona is one of the many Catalan appellations in which a long, formerly monastic history of viticulture stirs again, finding new expression. In many small villages and cities, a younger generation of growers is trying its hand producing and bottling their own wines; many of these new projects are committed to healthy farming from the get-go, looking for balance in the vines and more life and expressiveness in the wines. It’s of note that much agriculture in Tarragona is still tilted toward selling fruit to gigantic Cava producers and local co-ops, rendering precious old vineyards into crops farmed conventionally and sold cheaply—this is why wines like those from Tanca els Ulls, founded in 2014 by Francesc Boronat, are so exciting.

In a small village called Nulles, southwest of Barcelona and six miles from the sea, Cesc is working with his family’s organically-farmed old vines to create the sort of pithy, salty white wines that are the emerging hallmark of coastal Catalonia. The Boronat family recuperated an old winery building in which his grandfather used to make wine a century ago—there’s a lot of heritage being brought to bear on this new winery. Cesc’s family land is peppered with olives, rosemary and fennel; in this scrubby Mediterranean milieu, he works with varieties indigenous to Tarragona: Cartoixà—some suggest it’s the local name for Xarel.lo—and Cartoixà de Marina, with its close analogue Xarel.lo Vermell/Gris. (Yes: pink Cartoixà, from north-facing 80 year-old vines!) Persistent wind from off the sea, in this area of Tarragona dubbed the “Gold Coast,” helps preserve freshness and acidity in the wines; very chalky soils with a touch of clay deepen their mineral imprint.

‘Tanca els Ulls’ means ‘close the eyes’ in Catalan: it’s a reference to the bravery and hopefulness required to take a leap into the unknown, to pursue one’s dreams. Cesc says the entire process of resuscitating a tiny family winery has been “very emotional”—especially in a village of 480 people where there are no other active wineries left. The dream is to reveal wines of real quality, from nearly unknown varieties, so that hopefully drinkers will newly discover the beauty and particularity of Tarragona.